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Stocking Up Its Arsenal: CCS Approves Procurement Of 464 T-90MS Main Battle Tanks For Indian Army
Indian Army’s T-90 Bhishma tanks displayed during the Republic Day (Representative image)
After the induction of Dhanush field guns, furthering the push, the Cabinet Committe on Security approved the procurement of 464 Russian made T-90MS main battle tanks (MBTs) in a Rs 13,400 crore deal, reports Jane’s 360.
As the final hurdle is cleared by the Prime Minister led CCS, a follow up process of signing a contract with the Russian export agency, Rosoboronexport, is due to happen in a few months.
The T-90MS MBT is an advanced version of the third generation T-90 MBTs that forms a vital part of Indian artillery muscle. It is equipped with a 1,130 horse power engine, the latest-in-the-field gunner view, a UDP T05BV-1 RWS with a 7.62 mm machine gun, navigation system, inertial navigation systems, new Relikt explosive reactive armour (ERA).
Defence Acquisition Council of the Ministry of Defence approved the procurement of the tanks back in November 2016. The move is aimed at equipping ten armoured regiments.
The Russian tank manufacturer, Uralvagonzavod (UVZ) will supply the MBT kit which will be assembled in the state owned Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF) in Avadi, near Chennai.
The procurement has been necessitated in the wake of snail paced licence building of 1000 T-90 Bhishma MBTs by the same HVF, Avadi. The said deal was contracted back in 2006-07 and is expected to be concluded by 2020. So far, only 350-400 units of the Bhishma MBTs are built by the HVF. Bhishma is the export version of T-90 MBTs that are in service in Russian Army.
With the new arrival, the T-90s are expected to supplement the Bhishma MBTs that are guarding the North Western frontiers of the country.
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